Watchcase heater



,Aug. 16, 1932. H. T. KRAFT- WATCHCASE lag-ATE f.

INVENTOR Herman Tdfirafit. BY 61/ & m

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 16, 1932 I UNITED STATES panranr orriea HERMAN T. Kniirnor AKRON, oHIo, ASSIGNOR TOQ-TI-IETGENEBALTIRE & RUBBER ooiirrAmn-or AKRON, 01-110, A CORPORATION or onro a WATCEOASE HEATER.

Application filed November: 2', 1927." Serial No. 230,491."

This invention relates to heaters-of the general type employedfor vulcanizing rubber.

vehicle tires and. more particularly for vullv canizingthe outer casingandthe inner tubes of pneumatic tires. 1 j y The "invention has foran object toe-provide. a vulcanizing heatercomposed of separable mold sections, one of which is carried by thepiston ofi a fluid pressure cylinder. and: the other of which is carried by the open endotthe cylinder and adapted to receive thepressure of the first mentioned sectionland to register therewith; I a 1 A further object of the-invention'is to, provide a-watch case vuloanizing heater with relatively axially movablemold sections for, obtaining more complete registrationof the. mold sections. 1

case heater with relatively movable moldsections;'eachof which is provided witha steam jacket and independent means connecting the.

V steam'jacket to a steam supply line.

' ing pressure to the molds and a connection from the cylinder to the article in the mold.

A'further objectis to provide awatch case; heater having mold sections hinged together:

so'thatone of'the sections may be swung to an open position for insertion orremoval of tires, the hinged section having a steam jacket and means forsupplying steamto the steam jacket from a steam line positioned atthe pivotal axis of the section. a w

A further object is toprovide a vulcani'zingi heater having a pressure cylinder-for applyto supply inflating pressure to the article being molded; 7 1 a A further object is to provide a-vulcanizing heater whichhasstea'mjacketed 'mold sections so constructed as to provide for more rapid and uniform. transfer of heat tothe.

article within the mold.

With theabove and other objects in view, a

preferred embodiment of the invention 13 I shown, for illustrative purposes, .in'the watch case heater illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims; to be considered with such variations andlmodifica tions thereof as will beapparent toloneskilledi Reference should be hadto the accompany ingdrawihgs forming a par-tof the specifica i Fig. 3 isa sectional side elevation of the heater with one'end portion broken away and shown 1n central verticalsection.. .7

1 Referring. to the accompanyingydrawings,

the heater chosenas illustrative or the present inventioni-is mounted: upon. a: suitabl'esup' porting "stand 1, the body ofthe'heater comprising a cylindrical casing 2, which is divided midwaybetween its ends by a central vertical Web 3.7 The web 3; has a centralbross 4' connected by radial reinforcing webs p 4 r V r rtawitl'rthe-o-uter,.wall of the casing, The An additional object is to provide a watch.

central boss 4 forms arigid support for opppositely' extending shafts- 5, which are vdisposed axially of the'casin'g-g Each half ofthe casingon oppositesides of the central web 3- forms a cylinder and in each of these cy1in'-= ders,rthere,is,mounted apiston 6, which .has

suitable peripheraljpacking 7 to provide a substantially fluid tight fit betweenthe pisa ton and the wall of the cylinder. Each piston preferably has a heat insulating plate 42'0n its pressure face 'andal'sohas a central aperture provided'with asuitable-bushingfor receiving the axial'shaft 5 and suitable packing 8 held in place by a collar. 9 to provide a fluid; tight joint between the piston and the shaft. The cylinders on opposite sides of the central bridging the space between. the flanges "and formingan annular steam jacket 14: along the inner face ofthe shell The shell 13 in theart to "whichthe invention appertains. I

so I

which is formed of a metal having relatively high heat conductivity is provided with regu.-

larly spaced inwardly projecting ribs l5,v

fer of heat from the steam jacket to a tire casing within the mold. The tirecasing is pressed outwardly against the walls of themold by the inflated air bag 26.

to each end thereof by means ofa vertically disposed hinge 17. The heater door/l6 also has an annular fla'nge16a that isxadapted to seat against a correspondingly formed portion 2a of the casing when theheater door I isclosed. g '0 v- "Each heater, door also has a mold section 18 secured thereto along its outer andinner marginal edges. .'.The outer face of-the mold sectionis'spaced from the inner face of the heater door. to providewa suitable steam V jacket-19 for heating the mold. The outer.

faceof the mold section has a seriesof heatconducting ribs 20 that are similar to the ribs 15 above described. The mold'sections 13 and 18 have cooperating annular flanges l3a and 18a-that register to complete the outer portion of the molding cavity. The

inner portion of the molding cavity. is com-I pleted by any conventional beadring 20 or by cooperationof theinner edge portions of themold sections as will 'be obvious to a those skilled in the art.

Each heater door 16 has a central outwardly'projecting hollow boss 21 arranged to receive the corresponding outer end of the shaft -5.' -Each ofthe ho'llowbosses 21 has a slidingnut 22 loosely"mounted therein which is adapted to screw ontothe correspondingly threaded "end' of the shaft 5. Each nut has a hand wheel23 by means of which it can beeasily and quickly screwed onto or off of the threaded shaft. threaded nut is permitted considerable longitudinal movement in order that the heater door may be swung toi its closed position before the nut 22 is threaded onto the shaft 5; Asuitable'handle 24:is mounted on the.

into the flanges 12 to communicate with the steam Cavity. The casing 2 has suitablejslots 26 through which the pipes 27 extend to permit relative movement ofthe pistons inthe casing. The short pipes 27 have suitable" swivel joints 28 extending at right angles to the pipes'27 by means of which the pipes 27 are suitably connected to the main steam pressure line through connections that'permit reciprocating movement of the {pistons The outer mold sections are connected by steam pipes 30 and 31 which extend from the steam jackets 19 to adjacent the hinges 17 where they are connected by swivel joints 32 and 33 to steam pipes 34: and 35, which are coaxialwith the axes of the hinges. The steam jackets 14' and 19 are provided with suitable drain cocks 36 and 37 by which water of condensation. may be drained therefrom.

I v 7 I Each of the pi'stonsfithat'carry the inner- The caslng 2 has a heater door 16h1nged mold section has attached thereto a valve fitting 38jwhich communicates with the prestheme-1d, so:that after. a mold isclosedland air pressure is admitte'd-tothe pressure applying cylinder, thispressure may be communicatedto theairbag by manipulation of thevalve control mechanism l that is carried bytheheater door and so jarranged as'to engage the-valve stem when the heater doorisiclosedQ .5 f. 7 It will beobviousthat the article to be vulcanized'in-gthemoldgcan be inflated from any-suitable external'fluid connection; .Suchan rexternal-" inflating connection'iwould be desired iffithemold was operated by hydrauliopre'ssure'or vif a'diflerent pressure or character of fluid were desired to operate the.

compared with the inflating me-..

Air is then'admitted tothef-fluid pressure.

chamber lwhereby the mold is forcibly closed because of the very large area of the piston acted'upon by the fluid pressure. After'the mo'ldis closed,-.the valve v38 is opened ;to inflate theair bag by manipulation of the valve control mechanism-41. .The moldis heated by steam that is admitted through steam pipe 27 to the inner steam jacketl l and through the steam pipe 30 or 31 to the outer steam 'acket '19. Thekmold is preferably kept heated; at' all times during operation of.

the heater.. When'the vul'canizationhas been.

completed, air will. beexhausted from the airbag and from the pressure-cylinder. The pressure cylinder is .then subjected to a vacuum by connection lwith the vacuum line 10a which draws the mold-sections' away from each other and causes the tire casing to bebroken loose from-the :molding; surface. of f the-moldsections- The-,.nut 22 is then unscrewedand the heater door; opened to per mit removal ofthe curedti re casing 5.1:

lVhat I claim is 1. A heater comprising a fluid pressure cylinder having a closed inner end, a piston in the cylinder, means for admitting fluid under pressure between the piston and closed end of the cylinder, a centrally disposed shaft rigidly secured to the closed end of the cylinder and extending through said piston, an inner mold section on the outer face of said piston, a complemental outer mold section, and means for detachably clamping said outer mold section to said shaft.

2. A heater comprising a fluid pressure cylinder having aclosed innerend, a piston in the cylinder, means for admitting fluid under pressure between the piston and closed end of the cylinder, an annular inner tire mold section on the outer face of the piston, a complemental outer annular mold section,

movable supporting members, each having an annular recess, a pair of complemental tire mold sections formed to provide an annular mold cavity between them, each of said mold sections being secured to a supporting member and closlng the annular recess thereof to form a steam chamber, each mold section belng composed'of a metal of high heat conductivity and having integral ribs on their outer faces projecting into the steam chambers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature,

HERMAN, T. KRAFT.

means for clamping said outer mold section against the open end of said cylinder, and means for admitting fluid under pressure from said cylinderthrough the piston to the interior of a tire casing within the mold. 1

3. A heater comprising a fluid pressure cylinder having a closed inner end, a piston in the cylinder, means for admitting fluid under pressure between the piston and closed end of the cylinder, an inner mold section on the outer face of said piston, a closure member hinged to the outer end of the cylinder,

a complemental outer mold section carried by said closure member, means for securing said closure member-to said cylinder to hold the same in closed position, and means for delivering fluid under pressure from the interior ofthe cylinder to the interior of a tire Within the mold comprising a valve controlled outlet carried by the piston and a flexible hose attached to the outlet and having means for attachment to an air bag within the mold cavity.

4. A Watch case heater comprising a fluid pressure cylinder having a closed inner end, a piston in said cylinder which has a covering of heat insulating material, means for admitting fluid under pressure between the piston and the closed end of the cylinder, an inner steam jacketed annular tire mold section on the outer face of said piston, a complemental outer steam jacketed annular mold section, means for clamping said outer section against the open end of the cylinder,

and means for delivering steam to the jackets of said mold sections.

5. A watch case heater comprising a fluid pressure cylinder having a closed inner end,

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